Tavon Austin, Rams stun Colts in 30-point blowout

Austin, the first-round draft pick with uncanny speed and unlimited potential, scored on a 98-yard punt return and grabbed two long TD passes Sunday as the St. Louis Rams ended a three-game losing streak with a stunning 38-8 victory over the AFC South-leading Colts.

More Rams-Colts coverage

Tavon Austin, the St. Louis Rams' rookie receiver and returner, announced his presence to the NFL with three touchdowns, Nick Wagoner writes. Blog

We've seen Andrew Luck and his Houdini act many times, but as the Rams showed them, the Colts can't expect it to work every time, writes Mike Wells. Blog

"I've been patient for eight weeks and, hopefully, it's my time right now," Austin said. "I knew the day was going to come. It was just me being patient and me being true to myself and to keep working. I'm just glad that I had an opportunity."

Nobody did more against Indy (6-3) this season -- or any time recently.

Austin returned four punts for 145 yards and scored on touchdown passes of 57 and 81 yards, his only two catches of the day. He also returned one kickoff for 27 yards while making the Colts look foolish all day.

Austin's one-man show started when he backed up and waved off teammates as Pat McAfee's punt sailed deep into Rams territory. But as the Colts moved into position to down the bouncing ball, Austin reached out and dangerously grabbed it at his own 2-yard line.

The Colts didn't react immediately, apparently believing the play had stopped, and Austin sprinted down the right sideline, avoided one defender and picked up a block on McAfee and reached the end zone to give the Rams (4-6) a 21-0 lead.

Even Rams coach Jeff Fisher couldn't believe it.

"I went from saying, 'Get away, get away, get away,' to 'Go, go, go!'" Fisher said.

Youth Movement

Tavon Austin had three touchdowns of at least 50 yards on Sunday, achieving a feat only two others have ever done.

3 TDs of at Least 50 Yards in GameAge 22 or Younger in NFL History

Year

Player

Team

2013

Tavon Austin

Rams

1998

Randy Moss

Vikings

1965

Gale Sayers

Bears

--Elias Sports Bureau

Austin later caught a short pass on a drag route over the middle, turned upfield and avoided two defenders with an inside cut for the 81-yard score. That made it 35-0 -- too big a deficit even for the masterful Andrew Luck to overcome.

The Colts just couldn't get a handle on the 5-foot-8, 176-pound receiver who finished with 310 total yards and three TDs.

"That was a lot of fun to watch. Tavon, he's lightning in a bottle when he gets the ball in his hands," quarterback Kellen Clemens said. "His performance tonight is certainly going to be one for the books."

Clemens went 9 of 16 for 247 yards with two scores and no interceptions, hooking up with Austin on the two longest completions of his eight-year NFL career. His previous long was 56 yards in 2007 with the Jets.

The defense was good right from the start, too, opening the game with a strip-sack from Robert Quinn. Chris Long scooped up the loose ball and returned it 45 yards for a score. Until scoring their only touchdown, late in the third quarter, Indy had just 181 yards in offense.

Luck was sacked three times and the Rams picked off four passes -- three of them from Luck -- to win for the first time since Sam Bradford went down with a season-ending knee injury Oct. 20.

For the Colts, it was a miserable performance.

"We just didn't do anything," coach Chuck Pagano said. "I take full responsibility for it as the football coach, we did not have this team ready to play."

Luck finished 29 of 47 for 353 yards with one TD, though most of that came after the Colts dug themselves into a 38-0 deficit. Indy ran 14 times for a measly 18 yards, 1.3 yards per carry. The defense couldn't get a handle on Austin or his teammates, resulting in Indy's worst loss at Lucas Oil Stadium -- and its worst home loss since San Diego hung a 31-0 shutout at the RCA Dome on Nov. 29, 1993.

SportsNation: Should Colts be worried?

The Colts got hammered at home by the Rams. Is this a worrying sign for Indy? How far will the Colts go? Vote! »

The loudest cheers, and most tears, came during a halftime ceremony when Army Sgt. 1st Class Jeremy Inocencio surprised his family by stepping out of an SUV in one of the end zones at halftime. His wife, Christin, and children, Dominique and David, ran toward him to give him a hug, drawing both cheers and tears. Inocencio had been serving in Afghanistan.

Austin provided the rest of the highlights on a day the Colts would like to forget.

"It is what it is, we got our butts kicked, we've got to move on," said Pagano, who will take the Colts to Tennessee on Thursday night.

Game notes

Mathis also broke the franchise record for mutli-sack games in a season (six) and has a new single-season career-high, too. ... The Rams played without starting right guard Harvey Dahl (knee) and second tight end Lance Kendricks (broken finger) and lost linebacker James Laurinaitis late in the game with a head laceration. ... Indy had won two straight overall and five straight over NFC opponents before Sunday. ... Indy, which had only six turnovers all year, had four Sunday. ... It was the Rams' first regular-season trip to Lucas Oil Stadium.

Research Notes

Andrew Luck's 13.6 Total QBR was the worst in a single game in his career.

The Rams scored a touchdown on offense, defense and special teams for the second time in a game this season (Week 6 vs Texans). They are the only team to do that in multiple games this season. But which unit contributed more to the 38-8 win over the Colts?
*The defense held Andrew Luck to a career-low 13.6 Total QBR, intercepted him three times and had a season-high five takeaways (including a fumble-return TD).

Rams Expected Points Added Sunday vs Colts

Offense

4.7

Defense

16.6

Special teams

9.5

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Andrew Luck finished the day 29-of-47 for 353 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. Sunday was Luck's fourth career three-interception game and first of this season. Luck finished 3-of-11 for 16 yards, an interception and two sacks against at least five pass rushers.

3 TD of at Least 50 Yds in Game - As Rookie in NFL History

Kellen Clemens' 81-yard touchdown pass to Tavon Austin was the Rams longest pass since Week 8 of the 2005 season, when Jamie Martin threw an 83-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Curtis.
It's also tied for the fourth-longest touchdown pass in any game this season.

Colts: 74 total yards in the first half, their lowest first half total since Week 14 of 2011 with Dan Orlovsky at QB

From Elias: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Tavon Austin is the third player in NFL history with at least 3 TD of 55 or more yards in a game.

3 TD of at Least 55 Yds in Game, NFL History

The Colts have targeted their wide receivers on 66 percent of their passes this season, third highest in the NFL. Andrew Luck was 12 of 28 targeting wide receivers in Week 9, his first game with Reggie Wayne.

Andrew Luck posted a career-low Total QBR of 13.6 Sunday against the Rams and did not get much help from the Colts running game. The Colts rushed for 18 yards in Week 10, their third fewest in franchise history, and they are last in the NFL in rushing in the last two weeks.